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Imagine receiving an invitation to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a crucial European match. How would you react?

To photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: an ideal but soggy shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun recalls witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "Are you a bit wet?" before telling her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent the rest of the match there, though she would have preferred behind the goal for superior shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page photograph.

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be annoyed. True to form, the manager glared at her and declared, "Do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her deep family ties to Manchester United—with family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble broke out.

"It was me that got arrested because I'm the weakest link, I'm a woman," she said.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The hazard wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be helpful. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright realised, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her collection of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an surprise call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. However, a familiar Scottish voice came on the line and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

Heeding Sir Alex Ferguson's command, she adopted the cat and named her Carrington.